Tehama County officials have begun examining a prospective site for a temporary Probation Department Day Reporting Center at 778 Antelope Blvd.

The location was narrowed down from a series of sites proposed at a Nov. 5 Board of Supervisors meeting.

At that meeting law enforcement officials and the board stated a preference for a site that would be away from schools and residential areas and preferably have TRAX access.

The Day Reporting Center, at Wetter Hall on Walnut Street in Red Bluff, could be forced to move as early as the summer of 2014 depending on when the California Administrative Office of the Courts begins its work to construct the new county courthouse.

The state purchased the Wetter Hall location and surrounding area for its new facility.

Meanwhile county officials are waiting on word whether Tehama County will receive a $20 million grant to expand the County Jail and build a permanent Day Reporting Center at the site of the Tehama County Library’s Red Bluff branch.

Even if that grant is awarded, construction timetables would more than likely require another facility to house the Day Reporting Center on a temporary basis.

Officials said in November they were interested in the Antelope Boulevard site because of its proximity to other county-run facilities, especially law enforcement in the area.

The site is 0.3 miles away from Antelope School. That’s similar to the distance the Day Reporting Center is from Bidwell School on Walnut Street.

At the November meeting Chief Probation Officer Richard Muench said he has worked with the school to coordinate its bell times to not match with the center’s check-in times.

He said he could work for a similar relationship with Antelope School, but he believed in most cases those coming to the center would be coming from a direction away from the school.

He also cited the visible presence of law enforcement vehicles at the Day Reporting Center as another crime deterrent.

On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors gave formal confirmation for the county to approve a temporary right of entry with Val V. Ross to examine the property.

In the past few weeks county staff has begun investigating the feasibility of the Antelope Boulevard facility through valuation, asbestos survey and environmental and structural investigations.

The Tehama County Community Corrections Partnership has around $500,000 earmarked for property acquisition and site development.

Agenda Items

? Also at Tuesday’s board meeting, the supervisors moved forward with a project that would remodel a portion of the Social Services building, 310 S. Main St., for additional office space.

According to a staff report in the past 18 months the department has regularly housed between two and five extra help staff in the warehouse portion of the former Montgomery Ward building.

During the county’s original remodeling of the building, plans were designed to remodel that area into future office space.

The staff report said that due to the implementation of health care reform and the continuous growth of the Community Action Agency the space is now needed.

The project being sent out to bid would consist of a 1,718-square-foot remodel of the warehouse to office and training space.

Engineers estate the project will cost around $160,000.

? The board authorized the removal of a decadeold inoperative bridge.

The Morrison Bryan Road Bridge at Burris Creek is 1.3 miles east of Newville Road.

The 2- span steel trussed bridge was barricaded at both ends in 2002 due to its poor condition and lack of use.

Public Works Director Gary Antone said in that time the department has not received one phone call to restore the bridge.

Morrison Bryan Road provides access to three private owners and the Burris Creek Recreation Area, operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Access to the area remains available when Burris Creek is dry, which is most of the year. The Army Corps said it has no interest in maintaining the bridge.

? The city of Tehama will soon be receiving new traffic signs.

The board approved a transfer of funds in the sheriff’s department, which will be used to replace a number of signs that have been weatherworn throughout the city.

——— Rich Greene can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 109 or by email at rgreene@redbluffdailynews.c om.